Jamie Redknapp has insisted the Premier League title race is over after Manchester City collapsed to draw 2-2 at Tottenham.
City, alongside Aston Villa, have been Arsenal’s closest challengers in the bid to win the top division, but Pep Guardiola’s side dropped points to see the Gunners’ lead extend to six points after they beat Leeds on Saturday.
Villa, meanwhile, after playing more than a half against 10-man Brentford, lost 1-0, to fall seven points behind the Gunners.
It comes as a major boost to Arsenal after their lead had fallen to four points after their defeat by Manchester United last weekend, and they are now heavy favourites to lift their first title since 2004.
And that, according to Redknapp, is in no doubt now. The former Liverpool and Tottenham manager, speaking on Sky Sports, has insisted the race is now done – despite every team still having 14 more games to play.
Redknapp said: ‘Mikel Arteta will have been at home this afternoon watching the two games and thinking, “I fancy Villa to beat Brentford” – they didn’t. Then he would have seen this [Tottenham vs Man City], second half, thinking, “5-0”. He will be opening an nice bottle of rioja tonight.
Arsenal already have the Premier League title secured after this weekend, according to Jamie Redknapp
Redknapp (pictured) has insisted the Gunners can go on and win the league by up to 10 points
‘This is it. I think this is the title done now for Arsenal and I think they can go on and win it by eight, 10 points. I would be amazed if they don’t.
‘They have got the players… I think they had been getting a little bit anxious, the crowd… the connection between the two of them. The manager gets a little bit uptight and I think that transmits to the players. But I think now, they can start to relax a bit and I would be amazed if they didn’t go on and win this title comfortably now.’
A number of teams are starting to struggle with injuries after so many games in quick succession, with the likes of Ollie Watkins, John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara missing Villa’s defeat by Brentford.
City, meanwhile, have seen their defence decimated, with players such as John Stones, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol all currently out.
And though Arsenal have been dealt their own injuries this season, they have got the squad depth to deal with it. Players such as Gabriel Jesus and Piero Hincapie have stepped up in recent times, while Noni Madueke shone in the Leeds win having only replaced Bukayo Saka after the winger picked up an injury in the warm-up.
It’s taken a number of transfer windows to build the side, but the Gunners are now reaping the rewards as the final straight of the title run-in approaches.
‘They have got the best squad,’ Redknapp continued. ‘They have the best players and nobody is really strong enough to compete.
‘Villa are doing incredible things. Absolutely amazing what they are achieving, but they are running out of steam with injuries, and Manchester City’s form just isn’t strong enough. They aren’t capable of going on an 18, 19 game run like they did a few years ago.’
He added that Gunners Mikel Arteta (pictured) will be ‘opening an nice bottle of rioja tonight
The claim also comes after Manchester City dropped two points in their draw with Tottenham
Next up for the Gunners in the league is Sunderland at home next weekend, but they will first take on Chelsea in the second leg of the League Cup semi-finals on Tuesday.
They lead 3-2 going into the second leg, and are heavy favourites to reach the final of that competition too. That comes after they booked their place in the last-16 of the Champions League, with the Gunners still competing on four fronts.
‘The mentality is good,’ Arteta said after the Leeds win. ‘And to play with that level of enjoyment about where we are, and then with the conviction to believe in what we do and how good we are, and that we can beat any opponent… we certainly have done that.
‘But then you have to show the quality as well in this league to do it, and it came out in great ways from different players as well.’
